How we started Our European Doberman Love And Desire

Doberman are an addiction !

Paul Doberman was founded roughly five years ago. It had all started when I had purchased a Rottweiler pup from a neighbor of mine. Bruce was an amazing Rottie with a big heart and an even bigger appetite. One day when I had returned from work, I called for Bruce the way I always had and received no response. Knowing that my loyal companion had always sprinted toward me when I called his name had left me breathless with despair; I knew something was wrong. Bruce was nowhere to be found, and after weeks of searching for him, it was apparent that someone had stolen our beloved Rottweiler. Bruce had truly become a part of our family and we were all devastated. At times I had even found it hard to sleep at night, not knowing where he was.

Months had gone by and it was time to fill the void that was left by Bruce. That is when I started searching the internet and came across “Sierra Dobie Farms” in Memphis, Tennessee. Searching their site full of beautiful European Doberman, I became intrigued by a specific breeding. It was a pairing between a very impressive Doberman I had run into on YouTube more than once. Brent, a partner working with Steve at SDF, had shipped frozen semen for one of his females from “Obi Wan Kenobi de Grande Vinko” in Serbia. At the beginning of my Doberman obsession, I didn’t know much but what my eyes could see. Upon seeing the pairing between Sierra’s zooming Zoey X Obi Wan Kenobi DGV on the site, I quickly called and asked about the breeding. Steve, the owner of SDF, was actually amazed to have gotten a call so fast about that breeding, knowing it was only put up for a few hours. Speaking with him had convinced me that this was the right breeding from which to purchase a puppy. There was a small problem with the funds at first, but in the end, I was still able to reserve first pick of the litter.

Fast forward three months, I was in Romania visiting my cousins and family. Brent, the owner of “Zoey” had sent me pictures of all 13 of the pups from their most recent litter. Filled with excitement, I started looking through the male puppy pictures deciding on which I liked best. Brent then Skyped me with news that at first seemed horrible but ended up being bittersweet. They had decided to do a dual breeding with “Sisko the Kid” and the frozen semen from “Obi DGV” as an insurance plan. A paternity test was required for each pup to determine which male they had come from. They had told me that the only male that had come from the European champion “Obi DGV” was the second largest male of the litter. This news was depressing to say the least. To know that I had gotten the early worm on this litter and then to have only one choice from males was underwhelming. I had greatly considered purchasing the largest male from the litter and not the “Obi” pup. However, after speaking to Steve and Brent, they had both advised me that the “Obi” pup, though not being the largest at first, was growing faster and was more special as an import than the others. I then, with the help of my cousins, decided that the “Obi” male pup was the right choice. A couple days after returning to the states, my sister Amanda and I took a road trip to Indiana where Brent has his rather large Doberman farm. The trip was five-hundred miles and took a total of thirteen hours, but I was full of excitement the whole trip. Coming home with our boy, we were deciding on what his name should be. I was set on naming him “Bruce” after my Rottie, but Mary and Brent had suggested naming him “Obi” because he was so special. After a few days, we decided that the name “Obi” was perfect.

A couple of years had passed and I wanted to start breeding Obi, knowing how valuable his bloodline would be.

Steve told me he would be glad to put Obi on his website and use him as a stud, as long as he passed all of the right health tests. Obi was tested for VWD, DCM1, DCM2, DM Soda 1, hips elbows, and thyroid. All of the tests came back clear and good. After sending the results to Steve, he decided Obi would be a good stud to have and posted him on his site. Then he reminded me of one other test that had to be done, the eye exam. I had quickly scheduled the test with a special veterinarian and took Obi. Everybody in the office was amazed by how big and beautiful Obi was. Waiting in the office for the Vet, I was feeling very nervous. The ophthalmologist checked his eyes 3 times each, and I knew something wasn’t right. And then after all of the other testing and months of waiting for results she quickly confirmed to me that he had 5% formed cataracts in his eyes, and he wouldn’t be ideal to breed. Doing the only right and correct thing, I let Steve know and within hours my dream of breeding Doberman was crushed!

This is what didn’t destroy me but infuriated a drive and fight in me to learn even more and fulfill my dream. Ever since then, I have been learning day and night about the breed, risks, bloodlines, and kennels from overseas.